In Bloom revised
by Natalia Vronsky
Summary: While a hunt goes on to find Rogue, Kitty and Pete's relationship blooms. Part four of my "Nightmares, Dreams and Realities" series. r&r please!
1. Default Chapter

Title: In Bloom  
Author: Natalia Vronsky  
Part: 1/6 (I think)  
Rating: R (may become higher later)  
Summary: While a hunt goes on to find Rogue, Kitty and Pete's relationship blooms. Part four of my "Nightmares, Dreams and Realities" series.   
Notes: Previous parts of the series are #1 "Trent Reznor's A What?", or on ff.net as, "My Favorite Rock Star's A What?". #2 "Into the Void". #3 doesn't exist yet.   
Thanks/Dedication: To Kelsey for pretty much everything. :) Mostly how wonderful you write inspiring me to want only perfection for my little fics. Also for all your help and support. And, how could I forget Bamfchica for all her wonderful support and persistence that helped me complete the last two chapters of the original version?   
Archive: If you have my permission, you don't need to ask. If you don't and for some wacky reason want this on your site, just ask. I'm 99.9% sure I'll say yes. The .1% would be anyone wanting to archive this under "suckiest fic of the millennium"... not that that would happen, though, right?   
Feedback: It's good for my well-being and always appreciated.   
  
  
The bed on the other side of the room was not so neatly made. It had been that way since the day when Rogue, Kurt and whom everybody assumed was Scott, left.  
  
It was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission. There was a mutant who was causing all sorts of problems... or so Scott said. They should have sensed something amiss when he refused to wait for Professor Xavier to return from a meeting with Bobby Drake's parents about his behavior. They should of realized something was wrong when he forced everyone but Rogue and Kurt to stay at home.   
  
But, they didn't. For that, all the members of the X-Men and New Mutants felt guilty. Though, none of them felt as awful about it as the four closest to Rogue; Logan, Scott, Kurt... and Kitty.  
  
They'd become such close friends after New Orleans. They'd never really "get" each other, but, they'd love each other like sisters.   
  
Seeing Rogue in pain over the woman she'd killed, Kitty felt her pain. She felt the loss of innocence about as strong as Rogue did. She'd wanted to say something, so she would know it wasn't her fault... that Mystique had played them all for fools. But, she didn't say a word. She just stood there shocked beyond belief until it was too late.  
  
Then, she'd left and it's been weeks since that day. Scott, Kurt and Kitty had been excused from school. None of them had been able to bring themselves to do anything but mope. They just wanted their friend and sister back. The three of them walked around the mansion like zombies. The others had too, at first, but then slowly began going back to their normal routines.   
  
Logan had disappeared right after it happened. He'd returned only days ago, saying he couldn't find any sort of trail. He couldn't catch her scent since she'd taken off flying. When he was around, the feral man became less approachable than usual. Everyone knew he'd blamed himself. If he'd of been around, instead of playing Mr. Mysterious Loner, he would have know that it was really Mystique, not Scott, parading around that week before.  
  
Kitty bit her lip, looking away from the bed. The thought "poor Rogue" was constant in her mind. But, Rogue herself would threaten death if she thought anyone was pitying her.   
  
Kitty lay on her stomach. Some of Rogue's c.d.'s had been in constant play in their room since that day. Evan, in a moment of extreme bad taste had made a comment about Kitty taking Rogue's place as "the goth", and who knew how long it'd be before she killed someone. Scott had yelled at Evan until he was as blue in the face as the seething Kurt. Kitty had just sat there, tears falling into her dinner.   
  
"Kitty?" Jean opened the door and peaked in.   
  
Maybe Kitty had picked up on Rogue's traits, because the redhead had never more grated on her nerves this much before. Kitty had this desire to strike her across that perfect face of her as hard as she could.   
  
"What do you want?" Kitty buried her face in her pillow.  
  
"A bunch of us were going out in a bit. Wanna come with us?"  
  
"Not really, but thanks for asking."  
  
"Kitty, you can't spend all your time in here listening to that music and brooding over what happened! Rogue will come back. It's not like she has anywhere else to go. She's probably just scared that we'll blame her for what happened, but, once she realizes that we don't and wouldn't, she'll be back.  
  
We all miss her. We're all worried sick about her. But, Rogue's the toughest of us all. She'll be fine until she does come back."  
  
"She killed that lady. She'll never be fine." Kitty sat up, glaring at Jean. "And, you and everyone else says she'll come back, but look how long it's been! And... The Professor can't even find her with his powers and Cerebro! I keep feeling like she'll never come back... and I want her to.   
  
She wa... is my best friend. I just want her back to tell her that! To say sorry for making fun of her clothes! For telling her how morbid she is! I just want her back so that I know she's not dead in some gutter somewhere!" The damn Kitty had built since the day of Rogue's disappearance, broke. She started sobbing. "Maybe the rest of you don't care, or can go on with your lives like she was never here in the first place, but I can't."  
  
"We all care Kitty. She's family, whether we always get along or not." Jean sat down next to Kitty and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about her being dead. Professor Xavier and I would fell it if she was. He's doing everything in his power to find her, and he will. It may just take a while."  
  
Kitty phased through Jean's arm and curled up in her bed, trying to stop her tears from flowing. "Yeah. You should go. Wouldn't want to miss going out." She shut her eyes until she head Jean get up and sigh at the door before leaving.   
  
Kitty opened her eyes after she heard the soft click the door made as it shut. Her gaze fell, once again, on the empty bed beside hers. Her tears returned. Kitty spent the rest of the night crying until she finally fell asleep at dawn. 


	2. 2

Title: In Bloom  
Part: 2/6   
Notes: Sorry this took so long to get out. I was lacking any proper inspiration. Some teasing bits of Pete/Kitty-ness for ya'll!  
  
Rushing through the hall, phasing through anyone and anything in her way, Kitty made it to The Professor's office in record time. She'd even beaten Kurt, who'd ported into the room seconds after she seated herself in front of the large desk where Professor Xavier sat.   
  
Scott entered the room a few minutes later, still in his pajamas, hair mused, glasses on slightly crooked. In another time; another place, Kurt and or Kitty would have teased Scott to no end about his appearance. But, this wasn't the place.   
  
Ororo and Logan stood quietly off to the side. Professor Xavier was frowning slightly as he glanced up at the clock, waiting for the others to arrive.   
  
"They don't care." Kitty said.   
  
"Kitty, that's not true." Scott said.   
  
"No. Kitty is right." Kurt said. "They have all gone on like Rogue was never here at all."  
  
"That is not fair of you to say that of the others." Ororo's voice was full of gentle reprimand. "They simply have other ways of dealing with what happened than the three of you."  
  
Everyone was silent. Jean and Evan entered, followed by the New Mutants and Hank. Kitty frowned when she saw no sign of Pete. She'd scarcely seen him in the past few weeks.   
  
Everyone grabbed a seat or remained standing, waiting for word on their stray lamb. But, minutes ticked by and The Professor hadn't uttered a word.   
  
"Professor..." Scott started when Pete entered.   
  
"Sorry I'm late." He smiled. He walked over to the desk and handed Professor Xavier some papers. His gaze settled on Kitty and The Professor glanced over the papers.   
  
"Thank you, Peter." The Professor said, but Pete had already left the room. "I have a location where Rogue may be."  
  
"What? That's great!" Kurt hopped out of his chair excitedly. "We will go get her, then, right?"  
  
"Yes. We will go do our best to bring her back." Ororo stated, face glowing with happiness.   
  
"Myself and Logan will go to bring her back." The Professor stated. "Everyone else will stay here."  
  
"But... I wanna go." Kitty said.   
  
"So do I." Scott said.  
  
"Me too." Kurt frowned.   
  
"Maybe she won't listen to you guys. She might listen to us." Kitty whimpered.  
  
"Yes, you are right, Katherine. But, she may feel more pressured to return, even if she is not ready to. Besides, you all have school to attend. You three will be returning starting tomorrow."  
  
"But..." Kitty, Scott and Kurt started.  
  
"No 'buts'. We will do everything we can to bring Rogue back home."  
  
Kitty hung her head. Didn't they know she wouldn't come back if at least the three that cared the most for her went? She'd think they blamed her for the woman's death. She'd think they didn't care enough about her to go to try and bring her back.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kitty dragged herself into the mansion after a painfully laborious day at school. She loved school. Learning new things, seeing places she knew she'd one day go. But, today, she'd just wanted to be home. She'd wanted to wait angrily and impatiently by the phone, waiting for a call from The Professor or Logan to tell her that they found Rogue and she's coming back with them.  
  
She knew that wasn't likely. It was wishful thinking. It was a new venture for her. Sure, she always gave the appearance of happiness and positivity. But, those walls crumbled after Rogue left. All that there was left was the real Kitty Pryde.   
  
Hurt that her parents looked at her with fear when they realized what she was. Angst ridden over a twenty year old who'd never see her as anything but a child. Once saddened over the fuzzy blue elf's defection of attention. Cynical about and slightly doubtful that Professor Charles Francis Xavier's pretty dream would actually be excepted... let alone ever come true.   
  
Maybe that's why she and Rogue got along just a tad better than they did with the others. They both felt that way, though it had always been unspoken between them. No matter what anyone felt about "The Dream", they would only ever praise it through the roof.   
  
"Hello, Luv." Pete greeted her at the bottom of the steps in the foyer. "Something troubling you?"  
  
"Not really." She smiled weakly. How did he do that? He managed to melt her insides with a single glance. "It's been a while since I've seen you."  
  
"Yeah, 'bout that, Ducks, I meant to tell you before I left, but, I never got the chance. I went to New Orleans, to ask that bloke you and Rogue stayed with if he knew anything about where she was. Charles didn't want to tell the others because he didn't want to get their hopes up."  
  
"But, why'd you go? Mr. Logan, Ms. Monroe or Mr. McCoy could have gone."  
  
"I volunteered because I wanted to help. I didn't really know Rogue, but, I see how her being gone is effecting you." He cupped her cheek with his smooth warm hand when he said that. "I see how sad it's making you."  
  
"Oh." She squeaked.   
  
"I just want to see you smile again." His voice made her shiver. His thumb was moving in little circles on her cheek, moving closer and closer to her lips.   
  
She opened her mouth to say something, but, no sound came out. Pete was moving closer and closer to her... his hand left her cheek and wrapped around her neck. Heart pounding so hard in her chest, she could swear it'd be like those cartoons where the guys see some vixen-y cartoon girl and their hearts bulge out of their chests.  
  
Kitty shut her eyes when she felt his lips gently over hers. It wasn't their first kiss, and probably wouldn't be their last. But, it was so exhilarating each time. Maybe it was the sense of danger Pete radiated. Or maybe it was the fact that if they got caught, they'd be dead meat. "Maybe it's because I'm insanely in love with him." She thought.   
  
Kitty's eyes snapped open when she realized what she'd just thought, only to feel herself smack into the ground, her face smashed against the hard-wood flooring. "Huh?" She lifted herself up and turned to face Pete. Her face burned bright red. She'd just phased through him mid-kiss.   
  
"Luv? Are you..." He didn't even get to finish his question, because Kitty made a mad dash upstairs, and locked herself in her bedroom. 


End file.
